After the martyrdom faced by Japan to carry out the Tokyo Olympics, which suffered a year delay due to the new coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19), a similar drama plot seems to be outlined in relation to the Beijing Winter Olympics, in China, scheduled for February next year.
There has yet been no specific statement from the IOC (International Olympic Committee) or China’s organizing committee. But this Monday (29), the danger picture was evident by the warning from the WHO (World Health Organization) informing that the new omicron variant of the coronavirus presents a “very high risk”. The strain that started to infect people in several countries still carries many unknowns.
The competition will feature around 3,000 athletes in disputes of seven sports. In the last edition, in South Korea, in 2018, 92 countries were represented.
By accepting the proposal to hold the Olympics again, Beijing becomes the first city to host winter and summer events. The famous Bird’s Nest stadium, which 13 years ago served for the inaugural party, will once again be the stage for the opening parade of the Games.
Even with the postponement from 2020 to 2021, the Summer Olympics in Tokyo were only confirmed shortly before the new date and carried out under intense and strict control to avoid contamination by Covid-19.
Therefore, there is little time left for those responsible for the Beijing Games to assess the extent of the risks. The release of the new version of the notebook with the regulations and recommendations of the organizers to the event’s participants is planned for the next few days.
The problem requires a quick response to the health issue, as the Winter Olympics were already under intense pressure and boycott threats caused by allegations of human rights violations by China. The rulers of the United States, England and Australia have announced that they will not send diplomatic representatives to Beijing during the Games.
The temporary disappearance of Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai, recently, after she reported having been sexually abused by former Chinese Vice Prime Minister Zhang Gaoli, heightened the echoes against the Olympics. Peng Shuai, the Roland Garros and Wimbledon Tag Team Champions, reappeared during a national tennis tournament and the pressure eased a bit.
Brazil has four places assured in the Winter Olympics, but has not yet decided which athletes should fill them. Initially, places are reserved for the national Olympic committees, which, in the case of the Brazilian, is the COB (Brazilian Olympic Committee).
The definition will come out in January, on the eve of the event. Until now, the Brazilian delegation guaranteed classification in men’s alpine skiing and cross-country skiing (two places for women and one for men).
One of the Brazilians who dreams of the Beijing Snow Games is Jaqueline Mourão. In fact, she was also there in 2008 and competed in the Summer Games. At 45, Mourão wants to reach the extraordinary milestone of eight Olympics.
Her seven performances so far: three in Summer Games, in mountain bike cycling (Athens-2004, Beijing-2008 and Tokyo, in July of this year); and four in the Winter Games, in cross-country skiing (Turin-2006, Vancouver-2010, Sochi-2014 and PyoengChang-2018. In Russia she also competed in biathlons.
In March 2021, four months before the controversial Tokyo Games, Mourão participated in the cross-country World Cup, helping Brazil secure two spots in Beijing-2022. “I had to sacrifice a lot. It was a very tough time,” she told Olympics.com. In addition to Mourão, two places are competing for Bruna Moura, Eduarda Ribeira and Mirlene Picin.
Brazil has eight participations in the Winter Olympics since its debut in Albertville-1992, in France, to PyeongChang-2018, in South Korea. In this journey, it was represented by 35 athletes in eight sports (biathlon, bobsled, alpine skiing, skiing cross-country, freestyle skiing, luge, figure skating and snowboarding).
Even though it is a country with a temperate climate, with rare and light snow occurrences, the presence of the national delegation at the Games sounds more like a gesture of solidarity and peace between countries.
The CBDN (Brazilian Confederation of Snow Sports) and the CBDG (Brazilian Confederation of Ice Sports) are the entities responsible for organizing winter sports in the country, with support from the COB.
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